County Cricket Round-Up - 9th August 2013

Bangladesh A slipped to their second narrow defeat in four days against a first-class county as Yorkshire prevailed by seven runs at Headingley. Azeem Rafiq was their star with the ball, taking five for 30 to help defend their seemingly inadequate total of 198. Only Anamul Haque of the tourists’ batsmen showed the necessary application, facing 92 balls for his 69 before being fifth man out with the score on 119. Iain Wardlaw (2-27), Ryan Gibson (1-17) and Liam Plunkett (1-28) were Yorkshire’s other wicket-takers.

The Tykes had earlier struggled after electing to bat as Al-Amin Hossain and Robiul Islam sent an opener apiece packing inside the first four overs. Alex Lees (39) and Adam Lyth (45) then put on 88, but it was to be Plunkett’s unbeaten 47 from number nine that would prove crucial. He added an important 49 for the ninth-wicket with Wardlaw (18). The pick of the Bangladeshi attack was Elias Sunny, who took three for 25 with his left-arm spin.

County Cricket News In Brief:Surrey captain Gareth Batty has been suspended for two matches, meaning that he will miss the Friends Life t20 Finals Day and, if Surrey fail to reach the final, the first match of next year’s competition as well. Batty was found guilty of two level two breaches of the ECB Discipline Code after his unsightly spat with Peter Trego during Tuesday’s quarter-final against Somerset. Gerard Elias QC, chairman of the CDC, called Batty’s behaviour “appalling”.

Craig Kieswetter has also received a reprimand for a level one breach of the code, committed during the same match.

Yorkshire CCC have appointed Harry Gration MBE and Gary Verity to their board with immediate effect. Gration is a broadcaster who has worked for the BBC for over 30 years, while Verity was instrumental in bringing the Tour de France to Yorkshire in his job as chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire.

Sussex CCC have linked up with the Oxfordshire Cricket Board. The partnership will see the club provide coaching to Oxfordshire’s players and also potentially see the minor county’s cricketers integrated into the Sussex player pathway from the age of 16 onwards. Sussex players may also get the opportunity to represent Oxfordshire in the Minor Counties Championship as there is the option of dual registration for professional players.

The timings of the matches for Friends Life t20 Finals Day have been announced. Saturday 17th August will see Northamptonshire take on Essex at Edgbaston at 1100 BST, with the second semi-final between Hampshire and Surrey commencing at 1430 BST. The final will then begin at 1845 BST.

Graham Ford has turned down an informal approach from Surrey to be their new team director, telling ESPNcricinfo that he will remain in his current position of head coach of Sri Lanka until his contract expires in January of next year. He did not, though, rule out joining the club after his contract expires.